Pokesdown railway station
Pokesdown for Boscombe  | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pokesdown station platforms looking southwards (towards Bournemouth), 8 September 2006 | |
| Location | |
| Place | Pokesdown |
| Local authority | Bournemouth |
| Grid reference | SZ124924 |
| Operations | |
| Station code | POK |
| Managed by | South West Trains |
| Number of platforms | 2 |
|
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries | |
| Annual rail passenger usage* | |
| 2004/05 | 0.233 million |
| 2005/06 |
 0.263 million |
| 2006/07 |
0.268 million |
| 2007/08 |
 0.268 million |
| 2008/09 |
0.291 million |
| 2009/10 |
0.293 million |
| 2010/11 |
0.330 million |
| 2011/12 |
 0.312 million |
| History | |
| Original company | London and South Western Railway |
| Pre-grouping | London and South Western Railway |
| Post-grouping | Southern Railway |
| 1 July 1886 | Opened as Boscombe |
| 1 October 1891 | Renamed Pokesdown (Boscombe) |
| 1 May 1897 | Renamed Pokesdown |
| 1930 | Renamed Pokesdown for Eastern Bournemouth |
| ? | Renamed Pokesdown |
| 16 May 2009 | Renamed Pokesdown for Boscombe |
| National Rail – UK railway stations | |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | |
| * Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Pokesdown for Boscombe from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Methodology may vary year on year. | |
 UK Railways portal | |
Pokesdown for Boscombe railway station is a railway station serving the Pokesdown, Boscombe and Southbourne areas of Bournemouth in Dorset, England. It is located on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth.
The station is served by South West Trains, who operate semi-fast services from London Waterloo to Weymouth and London Waterloo to Poole stopping services.
The station
The station was opened on 1 July 1886 by the London and South Western Railway. It was originally named Boscombe, which was altered on 1 October 1891 to Pokesdown (Boscombe),[1] since the station was closer to Pokesdown than Boscombe. On 1 May 1897,[2] when Boscombe station was opened, the station was renamed again to just "Pokesdown".
In 1930, the station was again renamed, becoming Pokesdown for Eastern Bournemouth, although it reverted to Pokesdown under British Railways.[2] In the 1930s the Southern Railway made the platform facilities considerably larger, allowing the station to accommodate longer trains. Although some facilities have since been removed, at the time they provided an asset for the non-stopping services because there were tracks to use as fast lines in the up and down direction.
In the 1970s, there was no longer a need for four tracks and a signal box. Therefore, two of the tracks were removed and the signal box closed.
On 16 May 2009 the station was renamed Pokesdown for Boscombe, and station signage was changed to reflect this. The station is a short bus ride or walk from Boscombe's main shopping area.
Most South West Trains services operated by units working in multiple cannot be accommodated fully by the platforms and only the doors of the leading unit are opened, the exception being occasional eight carriage trains which can open all doors when using the Bournemouth-direction Platform 2.
Services
| Preceding station | National Rail |
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christchurch | South West Trains London-Weymouth semi-fast services |
Bournemouth | ||
| Christchurch | South West Trains London-Poole stopping services |
Bournemouth | ||
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pokesdown railway station. |
Coordinates: 50°43′52″N 1°49′30″W / 50.731°N 1.825°W
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